Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and the pan-Yoruba sociocultural and socio-political organisation Afenifere praised Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), a renowned lawyer, on Monday for agreeing to drop the defamation cases against human rights advocate and attorney Dele Farotimi.
The praise came from Afenifere and Obi, who spoke to the media separately on Monday.
The legal dispute between Babalola and Farotimi began last year after Babalola claimed that Farotimi had defamed him in a book called “Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.”
The police had detained Farotimi and arraigned him before two Ekiti courts after Babalola’s petition.
The Ekiti State Magistrates’ Court in Ado Ekiti subsequently prosecuted Farotimi with criminal defamation, and the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti arraigned him for suspected cyberbullying.
Before posting his bail and being released on December 24, 2024, the activist was placed on remand for 20 days.
But on Monday morning, Babalola declared that he would be dropping the legal actions against Farotimi after Yoruba monarchs, led by Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, intervened.
Upon meeting with the traditional leaders at ABUAD after midnight, Babalola declared, “I will instruct my solicitors to drop the case.”
Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary for Afenifere, responded to the news by praising Babalola for his peace initiative. Afenifere had previously demanded Farotimi’s release.
Aare Afe Babalola has shown, as a real Yoruba son, certain key values of being an Omoluabi by responding to the traditional rulers’ commands, according to Afenifere.
“When our most prestigious traditional institutions appealed to him, he dropped the gauntlet, which he had come to defend. This deserves great praise.
“We also commend Ooni and other rulers for the courageous action they took. According to the proverb Agba kii wa loja, ki ori omo titun wo—elders would not sit by in a marketplace to watch the dangling head of a child!—they behaved as real elders.
“If given the opportunity, our Obas, who are the guardians of our culture and traditions, can play important roles in society, as this act has further demonstrated.”
Similarly, Obi, who had also visited Babalola last year to discuss the issue, characterised Monday’s result as favourable.
Speaking through his media aid, Ibrahim Umar, the former governor of Anambra, remarked, “We are happy that this issue has been settled amicably, and we think that this result is a testament to the power of dialogue and constructive engagement.”
“To correct the record, Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola was an actual attempt at intervention and conflict resolution rather than a request for forgiveness for Dele Farotimi.
“Obi’s actions were dictated by the idea of nonviolent dispute resolution, which he acknowledges as a leader. As a result of Obi’s intervention, we are pleased to hear that Afe Babalola has consented to drop the lawsuit against Dele Farotimi.
“We applaud Chief Babalola for this initiative, which serves as evidence of his commitment to peacefully resolving disputes. Note that Mr Obi’s actions were motivated by his wish to help find a peaceful solution that would enable everyone to proceed constructively and positively.”
